2015 USTA League 40 & Over
Alabama State Championship - Pelham
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USTA Alabama Championship
Procedures
2015 Championship Year
USTA Alabama is comprised of twelve local
leagues: Anniston, Auburn, Birmingham, Decatur, Dothan, Gulf Shores, Huntsville,
Mobile, Montgomery, Selma, Shoals and Tuscaloosa. The USTA Alabama Championship
Procedures will apply to all USTA Alabama State Championships. When not stated
in the Championship Procedures, the National, Sectional and Alabama regulations
and Friend at Court will apply.
State Championships
USTA Alabama offers a state championship for each of the following programs:
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USTA League Adult 18 & Over
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USTA League Adult 40 & Over
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USTA League Adult 55 & Over
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USTA League Adult 65 & Over Invitational
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USTA League Mixed Doubles 18 & Over
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USTA League Mixed Doubles 40 & Over
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Southern Combo Doubles
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Tri Level
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Invitational Mixed 55 & Over
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Invitational Combo 65 & Over
Team Qualification
·
Local championship teams will be allowed
to advance to the USTA Alabama State Championships. If a local championship team
declines their invitation, the state league coordinator may offer another team
the opportunity for advancement.
·
Wildcards will be issued to fill draws at
the state championships. Additional wildcards may be extended under discretion
of the State League Coordinator.
Championship Format
·
USTA Alabama Championship format shall be
round robin in all levels of competition.
Each team shall play every other team in its
flight, and the team with the most team points shall be champion in its flight.
Levels with two flight winners will offer a single elimination finals match to
determine the champion. For those levels that have three groups the second
place team or teams with the best record as determined from above will be
designated the wildcard. If a draw results in the second place team playing
against the first place team from its own group, the draw shall be altered as
follows: second place team shall exchange places with team from the top line of
the other semi-final.
Semi-finals will be played as follows for those with three groups: Winner,
Flight 1 vs Second place team, Winner flight 2 vs Winner Flight 3.
How to determine the Best 2nd Place team(s) when a team withdraws
from the tournament or if all flights do not have an equal number of teams.
When
a level is going to have one or more Best 2nd Place team(s) to
advance into the playoffs, the same procedure is followed if a team has
withdrawn from the tournament during play or if all flights do not have an equal
number of teams.
In the event of a tie in round robin competition, the tie shall be broken using
percentages by the first of the following procedures that does so:
1)
Team with the least number of TEAM LOSSES.
2)
Team with the least number of ACTUAL INDIVIDUAL
LOSSES divided by the number of POSSIBLE INDIVIDUAL LOSSES.
3)
Team with the least number of ACTUAL SETS LOST
divided by the number of POSSIBLE SETS Lost.
4)
Team with the least number of ACTUAL GAMES LOST
divided by the number of POSSIBLE GAMES Lost.
If two or more teams are still tied at this point, a coin flip will determine
who receives the Best 2nd Place team(s).
Eligibility
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All players must possess current USTA
memberships through the conclusion of the USTA Alabama State
Championship.
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All players must be prepared to present
photo identification immediately upon request.
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USTA League Adult 18 & Over, Adult 40 &
Over, Adult 55 & Over, and Mixed Doubles:
Players are eligible to advance to the state championship level competition
if that player has played on that same team in at least 2 matches during its
local league season. A maximum of 1 default received by the player during
local league competition shall count for advancing to State Championships.
o
A minimum of eight (five for 2.5 & 5.0+
levels) team members who were on the final roster of their Adult 18 & Over
and/or Adult 40 & Over local league team at the conclusion of local league play
must be available and eligible to compete. The Championships Tournament
Committee, by majority vote, can reduce that number to not less than four (three
for 2.5 & 5.0+ levels).
o
A minimum of six team members who were
on the final roster of their Adult 55 & Over or Mixed Doubles local league team
at the conclusion of local league play must be available and eligible to
compete. The Championships Tournament Committee, by majority vote, can reduce
that number to not less than four.
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Adult 65 & Over*, Southern Combo Doubles,
and Tri Level*: Team members are
eligible to advance to championship level competition if that player has
played on that same team in at least 1 match (1 of which may be a default
received) during its local league season or state championships.
-
A minimum of six team members (three
eligible pairings) who were on the final roster of their local league
team at the conclusion of local league play must be available and
eligible to combine and compete. The Championships Tournament
Committee, by majority vote, may reduce that number to not less than
four.
*Please refer to 2015 Alabama Rules and
Regulations for full details on eligibility for Adult 65 & Over, Combo Doubles,
and Tri Level.
Registration, and Entry Fee Requirements
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Championship Entry Fee: $30.00 per player.
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Players should be registered on both
TennisLink and the Alabama championship web site. In the case of
oversight, the Tournament Committee may consider the addition of a player(s)
to Tennislink after the deadline.
Scheduled Matches
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The captain is responsible for checking
his/her team in at the site of the match. When all players are present and
ready to play, the captain will turn in their lineup at the site desk using
one of the scorecards in the registration packet. It is asked that captains
turn in scorecards 30 minutes prior to the start of their scheduled match.
-
If a team has a known default, the opposing
team will have the opportunity to revise their scorecard once both
scorecards are turned in and the default has been announced by the site
director.
-
In the event of illness or injury prior to
the start of an individual match (once the line-up has been exchanged), a
team may substitute a player in the affected position within the 15-minute
default time, using a player not already listed on the line-up. If no such
substitution can be made, the affected position only will be defaulted.
-
If a captain duplicates a name in error on a
scorecard, a team may be allowed to substitute a player for the duplicate
name in the lower position (at the discretion of the Tournament Committee),
using a player not already listed on the line-up. A substitution may only be
made in the lower position if the error is discovered before the match
begins. If no such substitution can be made, the affected position only will
be defaulted.
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The Point Penalty System, which includes the
15-minute default time rule, will be strictly enforced. Court monitors may
be used to time warm-ups and changeovers.
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A ten-minute warm-up will be observed which
will include serves. The referee may allow a five minute warmup in the
event of a short inclement weather delay.
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Winners of individual matches will take the
balls and report the score immediately to the site desk.
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Captains are expected to sign each scorecard
after each scheduled match is completed before leaving the tennis facility.
Failure to sign the scorecard may result in scores posted online only
confirmed by opposing captain.
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If a team match is postponed following the
exchange of line-ups, the original line-up will stand for the make-up match
UNLESS teams are released from the tournament by the Tournament Director
and/or Referee. If teams are released, the line-up would stand only for
those positions that have already started (first service attempt) and all
other positions (even those that were in warm-up) may be changed. Defaulted
courts will stand.
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Tournament Referees will not be used to make
line calls or call foot faults.
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In the event of significant weather
challenges, the Tournament Committee may use an alternate scoring match
format, change court surfaces, play under lights, in order to complete the
tournament. See Alternate scoring document located on championship website
and/or in captain’s packet.
Scoring
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Each team will receive 1 point for each team
match won. In the event of a tie, the tiebreak procedures will be total of
individual matches, then head to head, then least sets lost, then least
games lost, then a coin toss. All scores are final 48 hours after the
conclusion of the tournament.
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Coman procedure will be used for all
tiebreaks.
· Results
will be entered into Tennis Link throughout each day and can be viewed on
TennisLink.
· All
teams are expected to play all scheduled matches. Any team not complying may be
subject to grievance procedures. In accordance with USTA League Tennis
Regulations, any team forfeiting an entire team match for any reason will result
in all matches of that team previously played or to be played to be declared
null and void. If all teams in contention for the Championships have already
played the forfeiting team in good faith, the matches stand as played.
· If
any team is released from the Alabama championships due to inclement weather
and/or court availability issues, matches in progress between teams that are no
longer in contention will be scored as retirements. The players leading in the
set and/or game count will receive the retirement. Courts that have not begun
will be scored as double defaults. Teams that are not in contention for
inclement weather issues may not leave the championship without verbal
permission from the Tournament Committee and Referee.
Grievances
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Forms are available at each of the sites at
the tournament desk. Completed grievance forms must be presented to
the Site Director at the site of the match within 30 minutes of the
completion of the team match.
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The committees involved will handle all
Grievances as promptly as possible. Unless requested by the committee, only
the captain and the player(s) involved will be permitted at any hearings.
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NTRP Grievances filed within 21 days of the
start date of the player’s and/or captain’s state championship will be
administered after the event unless the section authorizes the
administration of the grievance prior to that time. If the grievance is not
administered until after the event, points won by players will stand.
·
A team forfeiting an entire team match
during championship play may receive further penalties imposed by the
Championship Grievance Committee.
·
Players on teams entered in the State Championships that withdraw after the
schedule has been published will be subject to a fine of $75 per person payable
to ATA. Any team that defaults a court throughout the championship is also
subject to the $75 fine unless excused by the tournament committee. Said
players will be ineligible to compete in any USTA League including Tri Level and
Southern Combo Doubles until the fine is paid. Appeals may be submitted to the
chairman of the Adult League Committee within one week of the said championship.
NTRP Dynamic Disqualification
-
USTA Southern follows national regulation
2.04E(2)c in that dynamic ratings will be generated following the State
Championships. Points earned by disqualified players will stand. The
disqualified player will not be eligible to advance to the next level of
competition.
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NTRP Grievances filed within 21 days of the
State championship against anyone participating in the state Championships
will be administered after the State Championships unless the USTA Southern
Section Adult League Committee Chair, Vice-Chair and Sectional League
Coordinator authorize the administration of the grievance prior to that
time. If the grievance is not administered until after the State
Championships, points won by players will stand. Disqualified players and/or
captains that are suspended will not be eligible to advance to the Sectional
Championships.
Tournament Cancellation Policy
§
During Round Robin Play
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Should inclement weather or other
circumstances prevent the completion of all round robin play during the
State Championship; the following procedures will be used to determine round
robin winners:
o
In the event that only one team in a
round robin has a mathematical chance of finishing first, that team will be
declared the winner of the round robin.
-
If more than one team has a
mathematical chance of winning their round robin, and the first place
team has already beaten the other teams with a mathematical chance of
winning, the 1st place team would be considered the round
robin winner.
o
If a round robin winner cannot be
determined, and each team in a round robin has been given the opportunity to
complete a minimum of one team match, only teams with a mathematical chance of
finishing first will receive an entry into a drawing. Undefeated teams will
receive a second entry into the drawing.
o
If a round robin winner cannot be
determined, and each team in a round robin has not been given the opportunity to
complete a minimum of one team match, each team will receive one entry into a
drawing to determine the round robin winner.
§
During Playoffs
-
Should inclement weather or other
circumstances prevent the completion of all playoff rounds during the State
Championship including the rain date; the following procedures will be used
to determine round robin winners:
o
If cancellation occurs before
or during the semi-finals, all flight winners will receive two entries in the
drawing and the best 2nd place teams will receive one entry into the
drawing to determine finalists. Any winning team that has completed their
semi-final match will receive two entries into the drawing and the losing team
will be excluded from the drawing.
o
Once the finalists are
determined, both teams will be told how the champion will be determined by the
USTA Alabama State League coordinator, with approval of the tournament
committee, should cancellation occur after the finals have begun play.
o
If cancellation occurs once the
finalists have been determined, but play has not begun, each team will receive
an entry in the drawing to determine one state champion.
Administration
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Rain Hotline Number: 1-800-592-1838
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Tournament Committee will use proper and
fair judgment with regard to all State tournament-related issues.
-
Tournament Committee: To be appointed by
Alabama State League Coordinator.
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Championship Grievance Committee: To be
appointed by Alabama State League Coordinator.
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Championship Procedures may be amended at
Tournament Committee’s discretion.